Delia Derbyshire

Sometimes when you get older you start to believe that the things that have always interested you may start to run out of new stimuli. Music in all forms (perhaps excluding opera) is my great passion and I sometimes wonder if there is anything left to listen to. Then something new comes along and I find my listening taking a new path.

Last night, not feeling well, I put myself to bed at 8.30 but woke at about 11.00pm and put the television on. Right after newsnight a programme was announced exploring the work of the BBC Radiophonic Studio in the 1960's. What a great programme this was and what a joy to hear of a group of musicians who had not been given their due recognition. But the real star was Delia Derbyshire who, although she did not compose the tune applied her genius mind to the construction of the doctor who theme and to many other jingles, theme musics and whole compositions. Anyone who is interested can visit her website where you can hear extracts of her sounds. She also released a number of electronic albums in the 1960's many of which have been re-released. This great pioneer of electronic music is now dead but not before a new generation of electronic musicians had given her the praise she rightly deserved. I will be purchasing very soon (once house is sold!)

This is what I love about music. There is a never ending supply of new (to me) sounds to choose from. Such a shame that so many 'listeners' wallow in the banal and unchallenging.